SIGNIFICANT sporting heroes

some very interesting comments, and thanks to all for steering clear of 'insults by proxy'!!!!!!!!!

to be serious, i was asking the original question because in our sport, leisure and tourism course the names i mentioned are the individuals who may have a question asked about them "explain the importance of the career of ...." etc, but it is always useful to have other examples to call on in other questions.

for example if the question asks about the growing professionalism of sport then catherine's point about lineker and beckham would be very useful.

so any other (preferably british) suggstions for significant sportspeople with explanations would be gratefully received.

If you want to do a comparison you can look at the first Black footballer to play for England, Viv Anderson. There is also a good article here about racism in football, which talks about the importance of black role models:

I would question the idea that Viv Anderson was the first black footballer to play for England. Bill Perry, Blackpool's South-African left-winger, was I believe the first black player to play for England (three caps against Scotland, Ireland and Spain). Not as black as Anderson but black enough (his father was white but his mother was black).

Jonathan Davies - began the welsh exodus to rugby league in the 80's, from which welsh rugby has never recovered

Clutching at straws I think. Terry Holmes almost 10 years earlier would be more accurate but this doesn't begin to explain the decline.

Good thread though. A topical hero would have to be Lance Armstrong even if he doesn't go on to win his fifth Tour de France. They don't have to be British do they? For those who don't know his story see his website. This quote should give you some idea:

The man who had been featured in attention grabbing headlines such as "Du Pont Dominator" and "The Golden Boy of American Cycling," was literally forced off his bike in excruciating pain in October of 1996. Tests revealed advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and his brain. A press conference held on October 9th announced the stunning news to the world. This athletic and vibrant young man would be operated on twice in the ensuing weeks - once to remove the malignant testicle, and then dramatic brain surgery to remove the cancer that had spread upward. Chances for his recovery were far less than 50/50 as a frightened-but-determined Lance began an aggressive form of chemotherapy. At the time still in its proving stages, this "cocktail" of chemicals (called "VIP" - Ifosfamide, Etoposide, and Platinol) gave him the chance for a full recovery with far less danger of losing lung capacity as a side effect. While it weakened him well beyond anything he had ever experienced, he had a deep well of reserves and the unconditional support of family and friends. Remarkably, the chemotherapy began to work and Lance gradually allowed his thoughts to return to racing... He heeded the call to activism by becoming a spokesperson for testicular and other forms of cancer and formed the Lance Armstrong Foundation within months of his diagnosis. This international, non-profit Foundation was established initially to benefit cancer research and promote urologic cancer awareness and the importance of early detection. Its focus now is on being the world leader in the concept of "Cancer Survivorship" - helping people manage and survive cancer.

All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.Edmund Burke

Jonathan Davies - began the welsh exodus to rugby league in the 80's, from which welsh rugby has never recovered

Clutching at straws I think. Terry Holmes almost 10 years earlier would be more accurate but this doesn't begin to explain the decline.

our syllabus focuses on Jonathan Davies largely out of symbolism i think:

~ he was Wales' number 10 at the time, and of course the welsh have always help No 10's in awe (unlike the english who discover wilkinson and think they invented world-class No 10's)

~ his move did seem to trigger a lot of other players to follow, at least it focused fans minds on the issue more than had happened before

~ with hindsight his criticisms of the WRU just before he left seems to have been proved spot on

~ his exit did seem to signal the welsh decline, OK it had been coming for a while, but to the public it had seemed like a temporary blip, his exit seemed to make many feel like it was something more permanent